joyful, youthful, and thought-provoking
This is the story of Hana Khan and her family. Hana Khan runs an anonymous podcast; she works at the Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, her family’s halal restaurant; and she is an intern at a local independent radio.
Hana wants to tell diverse stories that make a difference, that frame personal narratives in a way that allows people to think about the world in a whole new light. To tell these stories from the inside looking out, because for too long they have been told by people on the outside looking in. And this is exactly what Jalaluddin does: through Hana she is letting us see the story of this young Muslim woman from the inside looking out. For instance, we hear of Hana’s disappointment with her Grade 10 History teacher explaining Islam to the class and ending up in a disagreement about the five pillars of Islam: he believes that ‘fighting the Jihad’ is one of the five pillars, only for Hana to correct him; the argument ends with Hana defeated. These are one of many incorrect ideas Hana puts right over the course of the book, I must say, it is her charisma that saves those moments from coming across as trite lectures.
A series of events takes Hana into a rollercoaster of self-discovery and personal development. The Three Sisters Biriani Poutine is in serious financial trouble A brand-new halal restaurant is opening nearby; the radio station she interns for, and her ‘radio partner’ are asking her to create content that challenges her journalistic ethics. Hana and her cousin end up at the receiving end of a racially motivated attack. The attack is filmed and goes viral, disrupting Hana’s life and endangering her family, her neighbourhood, and her career. Parallel to all this, Hana is developing a flirtatious relationship with one of her podcast fans as well as the owner of the new restaurant. There is also a lot of family stories to unpacked, but it all serves to create the perfect tension, it keeps you glued to the page, turning to find out what will happen next.
This is a joyful, youthful, and thought-provoking. It enlightened me about many aspects of the Muslim culture. And although this is set in Canada, I could easily see those characters in the UK. It wouldn’t surprise me if it gets picked up to and turned into a TV series.
Most of all, I love how Hana Khan Carries On gives us an insight into the lives of an immigrant community handling issues of race and integration with heart and grace.
Hana wants to tell diverse stories that make a difference, that frame personal narratives in a way that allows people to think about the world in a whole new light. To tell these stories from the inside looking out, because for too long they have been told by people on the outside looking in. And this is exactly what Jalaluddin does: through Hana she is letting us see the story of this young Muslim woman from the inside looking out. For instance, we hear of Hana’s disappointment with her Grade 10 History teacher explaining Islam to the class and ending up in a disagreement about the five pillars of Islam: he believes that ‘fighting the Jihad’ is one of the five pillars, only for Hana to correct him; the argument ends with Hana defeated. These are one of many incorrect ideas Hana puts right over the course of the book, I must say, it is her charisma that saves those moments from coming across as trite lectures.
A series of events takes Hana into a rollercoaster of self-discovery and personal development. The Three Sisters Biriani Poutine is in serious financial trouble A brand-new halal restaurant is opening nearby; the radio station she interns for, and her ‘radio partner’ are asking her to create content that challenges her journalistic ethics. Hana and her cousin end up at the receiving end of a racially motivated attack. The attack is filmed and goes viral, disrupting Hana’s life and endangering her family, her neighbourhood, and her career. Parallel to all this, Hana is developing a flirtatious relationship with one of her podcast fans as well as the owner of the new restaurant. There is also a lot of family stories to unpacked, but it all serves to create the perfect tension, it keeps you glued to the page, turning to find out what will happen next.
This is a joyful, youthful, and thought-provoking. It enlightened me about many aspects of the Muslim culture. And although this is set in Canada, I could easily see those characters in the UK. It wouldn’t surprise me if it gets picked up to and turned into a TV series.
Most of all, I love how Hana Khan Carries On gives us an insight into the lives of an immigrant community handling issues of race and integration with heart and grace.